Spoiler for a windscreen wiper blade

ABSTRACT

A spoiler for a windshield wiper blade, having at least one retaining tab ( 16 ) and at least one detent element, disposed on the retaining tab, that is intended to snap onto a support bracket ( 10 ) of the windshield wiper blade, and that has two detent tabs ( 28 ), is to be further developed in such a way that reliable positioning on the support bracket is possible. To that end, it is provided that the detent element ( 18 ) has two contact parts ( 22 ), which are disposed spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction of the spoiler ( 14 ), and that the two detent tabs ( 28 ) are disposed between the contact parts ( 22 ).

PRIOR ART

[0001] The invention relates to a spoiler for a windshield wiper blade,having at least one retaining tab and at least one detent element,disposed on the retaining tab, that is intended to snap onto a supportbracket of the windshield wiper blade, and that has two detent tabs.

[0002] One such spoiler, known from European Patent Disclosure EP 0 599637 A1, serves to assure that at relatively high vehicle speeds, thewindshield wiper presses against the window to be cleaned with therequisite contact pressure. The spoiler is provided with twospaced-apart detent elements, which each engage one oblong slot in thesupport bracket. The detent tabs are disposed on the detent elements insuch a way that they engage the edges of the oblong slot that areopposite one another in the longitudinal direction. As a result, forcesacting on the spoiler and oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe support bracket act on the detent elements and can deform them.

[0003] The object of the invention is to refine a spoiler of the typedefined at the outset in such a way that improved positioning of thespoiler on the windshield wiper blade is obtained.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The spoiler of the invention having the characteristics of claim1 has the advantage that reliable positioning of the spoiler is assuredby means of the contact parts. In general terms, the spoiler of theinvention is based on a functional separation between the detent tabsand the contact parts. The contact parts, by contact with the edge ofthe corresponding opening in the support bracket, assure that thespoiler is optimally positioned and cannot slip when forces act on it.The detent tabs serve solely to prevent the contact parts from beingpulled out of the opening in the support bracket. Because of the contactparts, it is assured that the detent tabs cannot become warped by forcesacting on the spoiler, and overall this assures an especially reliablefastening to the support bracket.

[0005] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided thatthe outer faces of the two contact parts extend at an angle other than90° relative to the plane of the retaining tab, so that they act in themanner of an insertion bevel. This facilitates mounting the spoiler onthe support bracket and snapping it into place.

[0006] Preferably, it is provided that the two contact parts, in asection parallel to the plane of the retaining tab, each have anapproximately semicircular cross section, and that the two contact partsare joined together by two connecting ribs, which extend from the end,remote from the retaining tab, of the corresponding contact part to therespective opposite contact part. The connecting ribs stabilize thecontact parts and increase the strength.

[0007] In the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided thateach of the two detent tabs is disposed on one of the connecting ribsand extends from that connecting rib in the direction of the retainingtab. With this design, the requisite elasticity of the detent tabs canbe achieved with very little effort or expense.

[0008] Advantageous features of the invention will become apparent fromthe dependent claims.

DRAWINGS

[0009] The invention is described below in terms of a preferredembodiment, which is shown in the accompanying drawings. Shown in themare:

[0010]FIG. 1, in a perspective view, a windshield wiper blade with aspoiler mounted on it;

[0011]FIG. 2, in a perspective view from below, the windshield wiperblade with the spoiler of FIG. 1;

[0012]FIG. 3, on a larger scale, the detail III of FIG. 2;

[0013]FIG. 4, in a perspective view from below, a spoiler; and

[0014]FIG. 5, on a larger scale, the detail V of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

[0015] In FIG. 1, a support bracket 10 is shown, which is intended to besecured to a wiper arm (not shown) and to hold a wiper strip 12 (seeFIG. 2). A spoiler 14 (see also FIG. 4) is mounted on the supportbracket 10 and serves to prevent the wiper strip 12 from lifting fromthe window to be cleaned when the vehicle, provided with the windshieldwiper blade comprising the wiper strip and the support bracket, ismoving at relatively high speed.

[0016] The spoiler 14 has two retaining tabs 16, which are spaced apartfrom one another along the longitudinal axis of the spoiler. Eachretaining tab 16 is provided with a detent element 18, which is intendedto be snapped into an oblong-slotlike recess 20.

[0017] Each detent element 18 has two contact parts 22, which areopposite one another and spaced apart, as viewed along the longitudinalaxis of the spoiler. Each contact part, viewed in a cross sectionparallel to the retaining tab 16, has the cross section of a ring, whichextends over an angular range of approximately 180°. The two contactparts are disposed and dimensioned such that the contour defined by themin the region of the transition to the retaining tab 16 is approximatelyequivalent to the contour of the recess 20 in the support bracket. Tomake it easier to insert the detent elements into the correspondingrecesses in the support bracket, the two contact parts are embodied suchthat beginning at a transition portion, whose outer face 24 a extendsapproximately perpendicular to the plane of the retaining tab 16, theytaper on the order of an insertion bevel toward their end remote fromthe retaining tab; that is, the outer face 24 b of the tapering portionforms an angle other than 90° with the plane of the retaining tab 16.

[0018] The two contact parts 22 are joined together, on their end remotefrom the retaining tab 16, by two connecting ribs 26, so that the detentelements have a continuous face end on their side remote from theretaining tab. Each connecting rib 26 is provided with a detent tab 28,which extends from the respective connecting rib 26 in the direction ofthe retaining tab 16. Each detent tab 28 is provided, on its outer side,with a ramp 30, which beginning at the end of the corresponding detentelement remote from the retaining tab 16 has an increasing thicknesstoward the retaining tab.

[0019] For mounting, the spoiler need merely be pressed onto the supportbracket 10. Because of the obliquely extending outer faces 24 b of thecontact parts, the detent elements can easily be introduced into thecorresponding recesses in the support bracket. Upon the insertion of thedetent elements into the recesses, the detent tabs are pressed inward bycontact of the ramps 30 with the outer edge of the recesses, and arepivoted about the pivot axis D shown in FIG. 5. They can snapelastically outward again back into their original position, once thedetent elements have been thrust through the recesses so far that theretaining tabs 16 contact the outer side of the support bracket. Thedetent tabs then rest with their free end on the underside of thesupport bracket and prevent the spoiler from being able to be removedfrom the support bracket. By means of their outer faces 24 a, thecontact parts assure that the spoiler is optimally positioned on thesupport bracket.

[0020] List of Reference Numerals 10: Support bracket 12: Wiper strip14: Spoiler 16: Retaining tab 18: Detent element 20: Recess 22: Contactpart 24a: Outer face 24b: Outer face 26: Connecting rib 28: Detent tab30: Ramp D: Pivot axis

6. A spoiler for a windshield wiper blade, having at least one retainingtab (16) and at least one detent element (18), disposed on the retainingtab, that is intended to snap onto a support bracket of the windshieldwiper blade, and that has two detent tabs (28), characterized in thatthe detent element has two contact parts (22), which are disposed spacedapart from one another in the longitudinal direction of the spoiler, andthat the two detent tabs are disposed between the contact parts.
 7. Thespoiler of claim 5, characterized in that the outer faces of the twocontact parts (22) extend at an angle other than 90° relative to theplane of the retaining tab, so that they act in the manner of aninsertion bevel.
 8. The spoiler of claim 6, characterized in that thetwo contact parts (22), in a section parallel to the plane of theretaining tab, each have an approximately semicircular cross section,and that the two contact parts are joined together by two connectingribs (26), which extend from the end, remote from the retaining tab, ofthe corresponding contact part to the respective opposite contact part.9. The spoiler of claim 8, characterized in that each of the two detenttabs (28) is disposed on one of the connecting ribs (26) and extendsfrom that connecting rib in the direction of the retaining tab.
 10. Acomponent assembly comprising a windshield wiper blade with a supportbracket (10) and a spoiler (14) of claim 6, characterized in that thesupport bracket is provided with an elongated recess (20) for the detentelement (18), and the contact parts (22) of the detent element aredisposed and dimensioned such that each contact part rests on one of theends of the elongated recess.